San Tan Valley is getting its first Panera Bread, and the bakery-cafe chain is throwing open its doors at 6 a.m. Monday, Nov. 2, with baguettes, prizes and a year's worth of free meals on the line for early arrivals. The new location sits at 1728 W. Hunt Highway, Suite 101.
According to Your Valley, the opening-day festivities include a bread-breaking and ribbon-cutting ceremony along with baguette and prize giveaways running throughout the day. The first 100 guests through the door will walk away with a year of free You Pick Two meals, the outlet reports.
The San Tan Valley cafe will have a smaller footprint than Panera's traditional bakery-cafes, per a press release cited in the report, with updated ordering kiosks and a fully digitized menu built into the design. That streamlined, grab-and-go-friendly layout mirrors what Panera has rolled out at other new locations around the country over the past year.
A Familiar Playbook From Other Panera Launches
In Saginaw Township, Michigan, a new Panera opened at 6 a.m. this past spring with a ribbon-cutting at 9 a.m., and the first 100 customers there were promised monthly free You Pick Two meals for a year, capped at 12 meals per winner, according to mlive.com. That restaurant also featured updated ordering kiosks and a fully digitized menu, with limited counter seating built around a takeout-heavy model.
A similar setup appeared in Virginia last year, when a Panera Bread opened in Crystal City with a smaller footprint geared toward, as the company put it, guests on the go. The Crystal City cafe featured a fully digital menu, updated ordering kiosks and a new order-status tracking screen, according to ARLnow.
Fundraising Opportunities for Local Groups
Beyond the opening-day giveaways, Panera plans to offer fundraising opportunities for local organizations in San Tan Valley, including schools, sports teams and scout groups, per Your Valley's reporting. Panera also teased the arrival on social media, with a Facebook post telling followers, “San Tan Valley, get ready! Panera Bread will be opening ...”
For San Tan Valley residents who have had to drive elsewhere for a You Pick Two combo or a cinnamon crunch bagel, Monday marks the first time the bakery-cafe chain will have a storefront of its own in town. Doors open at 6 a.m. at the Hunt Highway location, with the giveaways running the length of opening day.
